After a very full and energetic summer, September began with a welcome period of rest and recuperation for the Adhisthana Communities. The centre was quiet for a couple of weeks, with only a few small retreats on site, and after months of work, the new programme for 2026 went online.
There have been a number of comings and goings this month. We welcomed a new cohort onto the Men’s DharmaLife Course, a cheerful, friendly, and rather tall bunch who have very quickly integrated into life here at Adhisthana. The course this year is being led by Jnanaruchi, who has joined the men’s community for the duration. On the same evening that the communities came together to meet the new DharmaLifers, we also held a small ritual to welcome Hally into the community, who has taken over from Maitriyogini in the Publicity and Communications role. As for Maitriyogini, we had a very moving rejoicing session and puja to bid her farewell, before waving her off as she departed for an extended hike around the Welsh coast, to be followed by many more adventures out in the world. Having lived at Adhisthana for 6 years, she was a huge presence here and will be missed by all. However, we are so excited to see where this next phase of life will take her, and we look forward to hearing all about it when she next returns for a visit.
We also said goodbye to an Adhisthana resident who has been here longer than any of us – the towering poplar tree by the front pond, which had sadly become so overgrown with mistletoe that it died. The tree surgeon said that the limbs were so rotted that if we had waited any longer, it wouldn’t have been safe for them to climb. Fortunately, the Tree Planting retreat in January is set to plant over 500 new trees, so our local ecosystem will continue to thrive.
Autumn is coming into full swing, which was marked on the Equinox with a sunset circumambulation of Bhante’s burial mound – a tradition we share with Sudarshanaloka in New Zealand, as they simultaneously circumambulate their stupa containing relics of Dhardo Rimpoche at sunrise. The Operations Team also took a lovely autumnal walk as part of their team-based right livelihood sessions, during which they each reflected on the significance of autumn for them.
Annika has been experimenting with pickles and fermentation, using up surplus vegetables and improving our gut health. She was joined in the kitchen for a week and a half by Ivan, who was much beloved for his professional cooking skills, his sincere friendliness and his abundant wordplay. The Operations Team have been treated to a huge amount of snacks from various volunteers and retreatants, including a box all the way from Japan! The cycle of generosity never stops turning here at Adhisthana.
Padmasambhava Day fell on 29 September this year, which we celebrated as part of our regular Monday class. Vilasamuni led the evening with a guided meditation and a puja in front of a lavish shrine crafted especially for the occasion by Renate, Annika and Hally. Lalitanaga gave a talk on the significance of Padmasambhava, with particular reference to his iconic gaze, which impels us to take our lives seriously, and really look into the depths of ourselves, searching out demons, and ultimately transforming them.
